Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Food focuses on information on sustainable use of antimicrobial products - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Agricultura e Alimentação

The Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Food, through the Regional Directorate for Agriculture, is organising several information events in April on the sustainable use of antimicrobial products.

This initiative, held under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), addresses issues such as the ability of microrganisms to resist antimicrobial treatments, namely antibiotics, due to poor practices. It particularly concerns cattle (dairy and meat sectors) and all animal species that produce food for human consumption.

In April, sessions are planned on four islands of the archipelago: two in Terceira and one in Graciosa, Flores and Corvo. The first will take place on the island of Graciosa on April 9 at the local Agrarian Development Service between 7 pm and 10 pm.

There will be two sessions on the island of Terceira, the first of which will take place at the Agrarian Development Service in Angra do Heroísmo on April 10 between 7 pm and 10 pm. The second will be held at the Praia da Vitória Vocational School on April 11 between 10:30 am and 1:30 pm.

On the island of Corvo, the event is scheduled for April 15 between 7 pm and 10 pm, while on the island of Flores, it is scheduled for April 16 at the same time. Both sessions will be held at the respective island's Agrarian Development Services.

Resistance to antimicrobials is an increasingly pressing concern that requires coordinated action under the "One Health" concept.

It occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites grow resistant to antimicrobials and infections become more difficult to manage, increasing the risk of diseases spreading among animals, plant species or even humans.

As a result of this resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs become ineffective and infections are increasingly difficult or impossible to treat.

Nevertheless, the consumption of safe and healthy food is increasingly a concern when it comes to consumer choice.

Under the RRP, the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Food intends to promote information actions on the sustainable use of antimicrobial products on all islands, as part of the measure for Training Farmers and Promoting Literacy in Sustainable Production and Consumption.

The aim is to raise awareness and encourage farmers, as a key element in the food production chain, to adopt best practices when using antimicrobials in their animals.